


Mother's Blessing

by Liekinloimu



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Family Feels, Future Fic, Gen, Kid Fic, Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-25
Updated: 2018-10-25
Packaged: 2019-08-07 08:42:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16405091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Liekinloimu/pseuds/Liekinloimu
Summary: Old trunk in the attic. Curious daughter. Spike never had to suffer through these kind of things before the bloody soul.





	Mother's Blessing

**Author's Note:**

> Written as a picture prompt fill for the Thursday Vignettes (The Big Short on Facebook).  
> No beta.

”What’s this then?”

He had been digging through the boxes in the other corner of the attic, so he turned to see what Freckles was talking about. She was standing in front of the decorative trunk Red had left behind all those years ago. She had pulled aside the sheet covering it. Damn. He had forgotten all about the bloody thing.

“It’s your mom’s, luv. She left it with me to safeguard the same time she gave me you.”

“Do you know what’s inside it?” She was caressing the twirls around the clasp.

He shrugged. “Don’t rightly want to know. Witchy stuff.” He took a few strides to get next to her and gently pried her hand away from the trunk. “Ain’t good for you to touch it, luv. Witches and demons don’t mix well.”

She gave him a disbelieving look. Right. “Shouldn’t be a problem then, should it? Since I’m both.”

There was no way he was going to win this, he just knew it. Freakin’ annoying.

“What did she tell you about it? She must have said something more.” His girl smelled of agitation.

“Leave it, Freckles.” He frowned and squeezed her hand hard enough to enforce he meant it. He really didn’t want to have this conversation.

“Spike!”

And there was the same voice the Slayer used when she thought he was being a menace. He should have stayed away from the Hellmouth after that first time. Everything was so much simpler when he was just pure evil. Over two decades was not long enough to get used to all this soul business.

He sighed. Apparently they _were_ having this conversation. “She told me to keep it ‘till you were of age.”

“And you were going to tell about this to me when? I’ve been eighteen for six months now!” There was fury and hurt in his girl’s bright green eyes. He hated hurting her. The old Spike would have gone out to beat and kill a few demons to feel better about himself and slammed the door on his way, but he had learned (and maybe it had also been literally pummeled into him by Buffy a few times) that you couldn’t just walk out on your kid and expect problems to solve themselves on their own.

“Had forgotten it existed, really. And I have an uneasy feeling about it. So –“

“So you weren’t going to.” Her voice was colorless. “I’ve met my mother for the total of two times in my life, and you were going to keep me away from the one thing she left to me. To me, not you.”

“Freckles –“. He tried to pull her into a hug, but she wrenched away, following by a quick fist to his jaw. With enough strength behind it to snap his head back. That was a first. He'd have to remember to thank Buffy for the sharpening of her reflexes.

“Don’t you fucking ‘Freckle’ me, Spike! You have no right! No – ” Her last word broke into sob. Her eyes were shining with moisture and her scent had gone from agitation to sudden anger and was now morphing into sorrow.

He clenched his fists and bit the inside of his cheek, keeping his distance. She had all the right to hurl insults to him if she wanted to. It’s not like he had been the greatest father who ever lived. Didn’t’ mean it didn’t hurt.

“Lianne.” He kept his voice level. He couldn’t lose his temper with her. Not dropping to his game face. With anyone else, he didn’t care, but here and now it was not an option. “She stays away to keep you safe. And she is one of the most powerful witches the world has ever known. I trust her.” As long as Red didn’t do the dark witch thing, he added in his head. “I care for her. I wouldn’t have helped her to make you if I didn’t. But I’m worried what you might find from that trunk nevertheless.”

“Why you? Why did she pick you to be my father? I’ve always wondered.” She was biting her lip.

Bloody hell, these sudden turns in their conversation were throwing him off-balance. Spike smoothed his hair and leaned against the attic wall. “I never rightly asked for her reasons, luv. But I think she thought a human child would be too vulnerable, too easy to be used against her.” He was going to need a fight after all this was done with. His right leg started to jiggle.

“And why did you say yes?” Freckles was now hugging herself, like she was afraid of the answer. He wanted to wrap his arms around her so badly, but was not sure if it would be welcome yet so he stayed put.

“I wanted a child.” He shifted his eyes from her to the dirty floor at his feet. “Ain’t like I was likely to get another chance. And I’ll never make a vampire Childe now that I have a soul myself.”

Arms snaked around his waist, and his girl was there, hugging him. “Let me open the trunk, Dad, please?”

Closing his eyes, he squeezed her back. She almost never called him dad. “A’right, you sprout.”

Freckles pulled back and knelt in front of the trunk. She grasped the clasp, but then froze. She looked back at him. “Spike, I think I need you to touch me when I open this. It feels – wrong, otherwise.”

Bad idea. Bad. He put his hands on her shoulders regardless. He knew he was always going to be there for her if he only could help it.

She slowly opened the lid. Bright, shining light emanated from the inside. Warmth. Strength. Knowledge. Love. So much love. He could feel it flowing through his girl, him catching the edges of it through their touch. It seemed to take an eternity, him connected to his daughter, these bright filaments joining them, almost frying his dead nerves. Yet it was over too soon.

Then there were only him and his girl, in front of an empty trunk. And the echo of Red still vibrating inside them both.


End file.
